Dementia illnesses, including but not limited to Alzheimer's disease, are on the rise in this country. Estimates are that there are currently over four million people suffering to varying degrees from this illness. It is also estimated that 70% of the total market could benefit from pre-institutional care. There will be significant growth trends in this market over the next 10 to 30 years.
The burden placed on family members or spouses to deal with dementia patients within their home is substantial and disruptive to traditional life styles. The burden falls on the in-home caregiver (e.g. a spouse or adult child who has taken on the responsibility to care for this person) to deal with the illness while dealing with everyday life.
A caregiver has fundamental needs including the monitoring of the patient's whereabouts within the protected premises, notification at different alarm levels when moving about the home, and the ability to get more restful sleep since they carry the burden of normal work and family responsibilities in addition to the needs of the dementia patient.
The security industry has an opportunity to be the provider of such a system. A key component of such a system is a clear understanding of the specific needs of the caregiver and how the dementia illnesses affect its victims and modifies their behavior. It has been determined that traditional off the shelf security systems are not adequate for on-site monitoring flexibility needed by the caregiver. No systems are currently available that would provide in-home monitoring and notification for these types of patients. Proper system architecture and attention to details based on existing security system hardware and firmware can be developed into a system that will meet these needs.
One primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a solution that monitors the motion of a patient to prevent injury to him or her while also assisting the caregiver in getting a better night's sleep. In addition, it is desired to be able to provide some automated assistance to the patient to help him or her navigate throughout the house at night, unassisted, such as by sequencing lights on and off throughout the house.